


Colored Shadows

by aliceinreality (soldmysoul4wifi)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 2017, Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts First Year, Modern Era, Next Generation, Nineteen Years Later Era, idk man if there's anything else you think I should tag this as please tell me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 14:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1230091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldmysoul4wifi/pseuds/aliceinreality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Severus has grown up on stories of the great accomplishments of his family members. He knows all about how Draco Malfoy was his father's enemy in school, and how every Death Eater or Voldemort supporter was a Slytherin, and how the best and brightest of the Order of the Phoenix were in Gryffindor. And he knows all about how most of his family has been in Gryffindor, and he knows all about what he wants. He wants to be like his father, and his older cousins and his big brother, doesn't he? But what if he isn't?<br/>Multi-Chapter fic about the next generation of Harry Potter, though the old generations do make minor appearances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hogwarts Express

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a really short first chapter, but I swear on my life, the next one is much longer--it's already written and waiting. This fic takes place in 2017, and starts just after Albus has left Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. The title is original, and it has meaning later on, so just wait. Hope you like it! Please leave kudos, comments, whatever. Fanfic writers like to know we're appreciated!

"Here," Rose nodded to an empty compartment, and the two entered, sitting themselves across from each other.

"This is really weird," said Albus, looking around the compartment curiously. "I've never been on a train before."

"Me neither," said Rose. "But Mum's told me about them. She said the train's enchanted, so it doesn't take as long as Muggle trains do."

"How long do Muggle trains take?"

"No idea," Rose kicked her feet;her short legs didn't reach the floor. Having reached the end of the conversation, the cousins fell into silence.

"So what house do you wanna be in?" Albus asked, in an effort to spark the kind of conversation the two of them usually had.

"Gryffindor," said Rose.

"Me, too," agreed Albus, looking out the window. "But James said I'd probably be in Slytherin."

"James is an idiot," said Rose. "Only an idiot thinks Slytherin is all bad."

"Every wizard who ever went bad was in Slytherin," recited Albus, citing a favorite expression of their many Weasley cousins.

"Yeah but plenty of Slytherins didn't," Rose argued. "Merlin was a Slytherin."

"Hogwarts wasn't even around when Merlin was!"

"The Sorting Hat sorted his portrait," insisted Rose vehemently. "Mum found the article and showed it to me, and Merlin would've been a Slytherin."

"If he was, how d'you know he wouldn't have gone bad, too?" challenged Albus.

The idea of Merlin going bad was so ridiculous that Rose would not gratify it with a response, so instead she crossed her arms and stared out the window, determined to be silent for the rest of the trip.

Albus's first day, he considered, was not going well at all. He stared out the window as well, watching the countryside whoosh by as he scowled.

The silence got so loud that Albus could hear it. Now and then it was interrupted by a yell from James, four compartments down, who got his energy from his father's father, and his voice from his mother's mother. After the yells faded, though, the silence collected around the two almost-first-years in the almost-empty compartment.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," Rose finally broke, rolling her eyes in frustration. The Weasley stubbornness present in the rest of her family had skipped her over, making her famous in the family for being a pushover. It also meant Albus always won their fights. "We're not even there yet and we're already fighting."

Albus relaxed, exhaling deeply. "Okay," he said, "What classes are you looking forward to?" It was a bland question, but one he had been saving for just such an occasion as this. If there was anything Rose liked to talk about, it was school.

"Mum says the curriculum for Charms has gotten more challenging, which I'm really excited for," said Rose eagerly. "The way Mum tells it, it moved _way_ too slowly when she was in school. She also said they've revised the Potions class since Snape, and split up the two semesters into two main units, Theory and Practice, although the bookwork for Theory is supposed to be very tedious. There's more creative writing in Muggle Studies, too, which is good, but the topics, Mum says, are too broad and kind of bland . . ."

Albus watched her eyes light up, and he absently listened to her ramble on. Rose, his cousins mostly agreed, had questionable priorities, but she and Albus were friends as well as cousins, so he didn't mind.

A flicker of movement made Albus look up. Passing by the compartment was a skinny, blond boy already wearing brand-new Hogwarts robes. The boy's silver eyes bore into Albus as he passed by the compartment, and their eyes met for a split second before he passed out of sight, disappearing as the train continued on its journey.

Albus noticed Rose had stopped speaking.

"That was the boy your dad talked about at Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters," said Albus.

"Scorpius Malfoy," said Rose. "Draco Malfoy's son."

" _That's_ Draco's son?" demanded Albus, who had grown up with stories about the Malfoys and their cruelty. The story of how Draco Malfoy had tried to kill Dumbledore, Albus's namesake, was practically legend in the Weasley-Potter clan.

"Louis says his father goes to Hogwarts sometimes," continued Rose, "To lecture about healing magic."

"He's a Healer?"

Rose nodded. "At St. Mungo's. Apparently, Fred's taking bets on whether his son's in Slytherin or not."

"Why was he staring at me?" wondered Harry.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Rose, tugging a lock of fluffy red hair. "You're the son of his father's enemy."

"It was creepy," said Albus, getting up. "I'm gonna find a bathroom or somewhere I can change into my robes, okay?"

"Mum said there's a bathroom at the end," said Rose, pointing. "I'll buy some candy for you when the trolley comes round. Anything in particular?"

"Chocolate Frogs and Every-Flavor Beans, please," said Albus, "I'll pay you back." He escaped before Rose could argue, and began to search for the bathroom.


	2. The Sorting Ceremony and the Common Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hogwarts is everything the stories said, and then some. He knows about the house elves and the Great Hall's ceiling and the boats to reach the castle, so why does Albus feel so nervous? After all, he'll soon be joining his cousins and his brother in Gryffindor, won't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a lot longer. I was going to split up the Sorting Ceremony and the Common Room, but I decided not to because the Common Room scene by itself isn't long enough for its own chapter.  
> Enjoy and remember to leave kudos and comments!

Hagrid was an old friend, and Albus had never gone six months without having him over for dinner, but the sight of his looming figure and smiling face made Albus feel more at home that he had felt since he'd left his father back on the platform.

"Firs' years over here!" called Hagrid, waving a lantern over the crowd. "Firs' years--'ey, Fred, great to see ye back!--Firs' years over here!"

"Hagrid!" called back Albus, waving. Hagrid waved back over the crowd of first-years that had gathered around him. Rose waved as well.

Someone smacked Albus upside the head, and he spun, scowling. His brother, already several steps away, waved as he headed towards the carriages with his friends and their cousin, Louis. Louis smiled and shrugged apologetically.

"Morons," Albus grumbled.

"Forget him," said Rose, grabbing his arm and hauling him towards the lake. "Come on."

Shivers crawled down Albus' spine when he saw the castle. He'd heard stories about it, even seen pictures, but the words of his parents and uncles and aunts were nothing compared to the sight before him.

Tiny specks of light flickered high in the sky, the stone walls reaching up to the clouds as tall as any skyscraper Albus had ever seen. The castle loomed over the lake stoically, and Albus felt very small before it, as if he was trodding over the footsteps of people greater than him. After all, his father and mother and all his uncles and aunts had stood where he was standing, and all their parents, even Voldemort himself, and Albus's own namesake had stood where he stood, about to enter a place that contained more magic than Albus had ever known. The prospect daunted him, and he shivered.

"Come on, Al," said Rose.

She tugged him down the slope to the edge of the lake, where their fellow first-years were clambering into boats as Hagrid yelled, "Four to a boat!"

The two climbed into a boat, Albus at the head, and several moments later there was a lurch as the boat began to move across the lake. Albus watched the prow of the small boat cut through the black water, and suddenly remembered the stories his older cousins had told him about the Giant Squid and the merfolk that lived in the lake. Out of the corner of his eye, Albus could have sworn he saw something move, sending rippled across the water, and he didn't dare turn to see if it was a merperson or, worse, the Giant Squid.

The castle seemed to get older as they neared. Albus stifled the panic rising inside him as he looked up at the enormous school, and wondered how he was supposed to live at this place for a whole school year.

The boat ride was over far too soon, and suddenly the first years were directed towards a stairway. With Rose eagerly at the head of the crowd--and Albus honor-bound as a friend and cousin to follow closely behind--the crowd hurried up the stairs until they reached an enormous pair of doors that, compared to the Muggle world they had left behind, seemed unreal to the first-years.

Chattering began as they waited, though what for they were unsure.

"Mum said a teacher would meet us here," whispered Rose to Albus. "I'm nervous."

"Me, too," agreed Albus.

"I'll see you in Gryffindor, okay?" said Rose.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Loud steps were heard as someone came running down the hall towards the group of first years. Albus sighed in relief as he saw that it was none other than Professor Longbottom, the Herbology teacher and his honorary uncle for all intents, purposes, and family dinners.

"Looks like we've a nice crop this year," said Professor Longbottom, smiling warmly at the first years, many of which were practically vibrating with nervousness. "I'm Professor Longbottom, I'll be your Herbology teacher for the next few years, so I'll be seeing you often."

"You're Neville Longbottom?" piped a first year incredulously. "From Dumbledore's Army? You killed the snake?"

The crowd began to shake with whispers and hisses as the first years digested this remark.

"I'll tell you all about it some other time," Professor Longbottom promised. "In the meantime, let me explain what's going to happen right now." The first years hushed in anticipation. "As soon as I open those doors, I'll lead you to the front of the Great Hall, where the Sorting Hat is. Everyone will be looking at you, but don't worry, they're just curious to see who their new Housemates might be.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. And when you're at Hogwarts, your House is your family. You eat together, study together, take classes together. You live in the same chambers, you work together on projects and you play together on Quidditch teams. You compete and you relax and you enjoy yourselves together, so your House is, in many ways, the one of the most important parts of your experience at Hogwarts. With your House, you will win points for good behaviors and deeds, even good grades or accomplishments, and you can lose points for misbehaving or rule-breaking. And at the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup.

"You will be called up by alphabetical order. When you have been sorted, sit down with your new House. Don't worry, they'll be applauding and yelling, and you'll know which table it is." Professor Longbottom smiled again. "Ready?"

Some shook their heads, others smiled, a few exhaled. Albus saw Rose wringing her hands beside him, and he tried breathing in deeply, in the hopes that it would help him calm down. It didn't.

Professor Longbottom waved his wand, and the doors opened. With Professor Longbottom leading the way, the first years advanced.

In the blur of black-robed students, Albus saw his brother and most of his cousins at the Gryffindor table, and his cousin Lucy at the Hufflepuff table. They waved at him and he waved back nervously. His brother stuck his tongue out at him, but Albus didn't dare reciprocate.

The next few moments passed in a blur, and suddenly the Sorting Hat was singing. Albus tried to stop the ringing in his ears, and listen to what it was saying. "Gryffindor . . . brave . . . Hufflepuff . . . " He could hear it sing, but couldn't hear its words.

"Are you okay?" Rose whispered beside him as the Sorting Hat concluded its song, and the audience applauded. Almost automatically, Albus made himself clap.

"I'm fine," Albus said, shaking his head as if that would clear the panic, and breathing in deeply.

He was given time to relax, as the first person to be called up was sorted into Hufflepuff. The second was a Ravenclaw, the third and fourth were Gryffindors.

Albus began to focus as the nervousness cleared from his mind, and he noticed how different the Sorting Hat behaved with each person. Some the Hat decided on instantly, others the Hat debated about for several moments.

"Malfoy, Scorpius," announced Professor Longbottom. Albus blinked as the blond-haired boy emerged from the crowd and climbed the few steps to sit on the stool. He heard whispers in the crowd as some recognized the name.

The Sorting Hat considered for a moment, and Albus could have sworn he had seen Scorpius muttering something, before the Hat announced, "Hufflepuff!"

Applause came especially loud from the Hufflepuff table, and Scorpius stumbled down to sit with his new Housemates. They appeared to know who he was; Albus saw a few give him sharp glances.

Two more people were sorted before Professor Longbottom called, "Potter, Albus,"

Albus heard people shush their neighbors, heard his cousins whoop, heard the crowd quiet to hear what House the second son of the famed Harry Potter would be in while he was at Hogwarts.

He wasn't sure at first that his legs would hold him, but he was steady as he made his way up to the stage where Professor Longbottom held the Sorting Hat aloft.

"Good luck," Neville whispered as Albus sat on the stool, and the professor lowered the Hat onto Albus's head.

His vision went dark--the hat was so large it covered his eyes. Albus's heart pounded.

"Not bad, not bad," murmured the Hat. "Your father was difficult, too, you know. A bit of courage, definitely, smart, sure, though not especially exceptional there, and plenty of hard work and loyalty. There's that same trait your father had, a thirst to prove yourself. How unlike your brother you are."

Albus was suddenly struck with the desire to ask the Hat not to place him in Slytherin, the way his father had. He didn't want to be in the same House that had spawned the likes of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Judging by the empty spaces at their table, he wasn't the only one who felt this way.

"But you want to prove yourself, don't you?" asked the Hat. "You're not just brave, you're clever and you're a hard worker, aren't you. Always wanted to be different from your brother, right? And from your father and the rest of them? Do you think you'd be different if you were in Gryffindor?"

The Sorting Hat's words seemed to strike a chord within Albus. He considered it. He thought about how happy his dad and his brother and the rest of his family would be, how they would clap him on the back.

How they would say, "Just like his dad."

"You pick," Albus murmured. He didn't want to make the choice, he knew he couldn't. He wasn't cut out for it, not the way his father was.

"If you insist," said the Hat, before loudly announcing, "Slytherin!"

As the darkness was removed from Albus's eyes, panic set in when he heard the surprised applause, and saw his brother, frozen in shock, with his cousins in a similar state, sitting together at the Gryffindor table. Albus felt a sudden pang of regret, but he looked towards the group that cheered the most, the emptiest table of the four, whose occupants were identified by green ties.

He headed towards them.

People suddenly were clapping him on the back, murmuring things.

"Nice to meet you, Potter."

"Great to have you, Potter."

"Don't worry, Potter, you'll be fine."

"I'm Albus," he said, thinking, _Potter's my dad._  "Call me Albus, or Al if you like."

Someone from the table beside them, Albus wasn't sure who or even what House it was, hissed at them to be quiet as the Sorting continued. Albus watched, paralyzed, unsure of what he had gotten himself into.

Two more Hufflepuffs were Sorted as Albus watched, and then another Ravenclaw and two Gryffindors.

"Weasley, Rose."

Albus's eyes focused on his best friend and closest cousin as she climbed the stage. He wondered momentarily if she would be joining him in Slytherin, but instantly dismissed it, because if any of his cousins would be Slytherin, it wouldn't be Rose, who was the least ambitious of any of them.

"Ravenclaw!" announced the Sorting Hat. Dumbfounded, Rose stumbled towards the Ravenclaw table, as their cousins clapped politely, unsure of the proper reaction. Albus knew they had expected Rose to be in Gryffindor.

Several more students were Sorted before the first year class was emptied, but eventually they were all seated, and Professor Longbottom stood at the podium, much to Albus's puzzlement.

"Let the feast begin!" Professor Longbottom declared, and Albus jumped back as the plates before him were suddenly filled with food. The Great Hall was immediately filled with chatter, and the ceiling above twinkled with the night sky.

"Here," said someone next to Albus, who looked up form serving himself turkey. The girl beside him was offering him a green and silver tie, saying, "The prefect at the end of the table said to give you this."

"Thanks," Albus said, pocketing it quickly.

The girl looked at him for a moment before asking, "Aren't you going to put it on?"

Albus hesitated, "Um . . ."

The girl's eyes flashed dangerously, a look Albus recognized from his many cousins, and he instinctively prepared to run. "Are you ashamed or something? If you didn't want to be a Slytherin you could have said something."

"No, it's not that!" Albus hastened to assure her. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?"

"I don't know how to tie a tie," admitted Albus, blushing as he scooped mashed potatoes onto his plate.

The girl blinked, then laughed.

"Here, I'll tie it," The girl offered, smiling apologetically. Albus looked at her, then gave her the tie. She tied it perfectly, in record time, saying, "Sorry I snapped, but I get kind of defensive. Used to be we would get all kinds of kids who regret getting Sorted into Slytherin."

"What did they do?" asked Albus.

"They coped," The girl said, "and adapted. They like it here now, so don't worry, you'll get used to it."

Albus looked over at the Gryffindor table, where his cousins and his brother were in heated debate, then over to the Hufflepuff table, where his cousin Lucy gave him a thumbs-up, then to the Ravenclaw table. Rose, already wearing a Ravenclaw tie, was deep in discussion with their fifth-year cousin, Dominique, also a Ravenclaw. She looked happy, like she was finally in her element, and Albus looked back at the girl next to him.

"I'm Albus," he said, offering his hand.

"I'm Elise," she said, accepting it. "I'm a second-year."

"Tell me about Hogwarts?" asked Albus hesitantly as he shoveled turkey into his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," admonished Elise, looking scarily like Albus's grandmother. "What do you want to know? I'd have thought your family would have told you everything."

"Where's Peeves?" asked Albus, choosing not to address the question about his family.

"Oh, he's not allowed in the Great Hall during Start-of-Term feasts," explained Elise. "It's this whole operation where the teachers set up enchantments and things to keep him out, and the ghosts all are keeping an eye on him. The Bloody Baron's hanging around here somewhere in case he shows up anyway."

"What about the Headmistress?" said Albus. "Professor Sinistra. Where is she?"

Elise laughed. "Dumbledore's Army's latest trick. It's a complete mystery how it happened, there's all sorts of theories around it, but somehow Vector's been ill for days, completely mad symptoms, too. People are blaming students, saying they bought Weasley products, but nobody can prove it. Vector's in St. Mungo's for the time being. Nothing deadly, but they're having trouble curing it."

Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Albus rolled his eyes. If anyone was behind this, it was his cousin Fred, or maybe even James. It seemed like something they would do--make a teacher ill for their own entertainment. Louis maybe not, he was too sensible, but Fred definitely.

Albus suddenly thought of something, "D'you know a pair of twins?" he asked Elise. "Tall, with dark hair and blue eyes, identical?"

"The Scamander twins?" said Elise, "Yeah, I know them, there's over there," Elise pointed to the far end of the table, where the twins were talking to another pair of Slytherins with the same faraway look in their eyes as their mother. When they saw Albus looking at them, they grinned broadly, and gave him a thumbs up.

Albus waved back, happy to have someone he knew in the same House as him.

"You know them?" asked Elise, "They're a bit weird."

"They're my cousins," said Albus, "My mum's Lorcan's godmother, but only us cousins can tell which is which."

"Have they always been like that?" asked Elise tentatively. "Not to be rude, but they seem like they're not really listening."

"Their mum's like that, too," said Albus. "That's just how they are."

"Hm," shrugged Elise. "Now tell me, you as fair a flyer as your father?"

"Nah, that's James," said Albus, "I'm okay, but I'm no Seeker. I might try out anyway, see if I can make Chaser or Beater or something."

"You should," agreed Elise, "We've had so few people in Slytherin the past few years, it's been terrible. We haven't won the Quidditch Cup since before the Battle of Hogwarts."

"I thought first years aren't allowed to play Quidditch?" said Albus, serving himself second helpings of everything within reach.

"They're not," admitted Elise, "But the Head of Slytherin, he's a real pushover, and since we've so few people it's not unlikely that if a good first-year came along he'd let them play anyway. S'what happened to your dad, anyhow."

Albus stuffed his mouth full of pork to avoid answering.

"What about the secret passageways?" said Albus.

"Depends who you ask," said Elise. "Most were blocked up or destroyed years ago, during the Battle of Hogwarts, but there's people that swear one or two are still open. Mainly Fred Weasley, but he's got no proof. But there's always the chance the castle will make a new one, so I guess there's still hope."

"A new secret passageway?" gaped Albus.

"Yeah, that's how they appear. It's a bit nasty having to live or work in Hogsmeade, 'cause the castle's always doing some crazy shit, pardon the swearing. The other day, a gargoyle supposedly appeared in the middle of the Hog's Head. Aberforth went crazy about that, didn't he?"

"And what'd Professor Sinistra say?" said Albus.

"Her? She used to teach Astronomy, and she's still practically nocturnal on Wednesdays. She didn't find out until a day later, when it had already been solved," chuckled Elise. "Sinistra's a strict old hag, so you don't want to get on her bad side, but I don't think she should ever have been Headmistress. It's a shame McGonagall retired. The way Victoire Weasley talks, she's the best Headmistress ever."

Minerva McGonagall, on the eve of her retirement, had been invited to dinner with the Weasley-Potter clan, where she spent the meal reminding her former pupils to call her Minerva, not Professor. Teddy had eaten at the table with them, already old enough at fourteen to be included with the adults' conversation, while the younger cousins had hidden away with several dozen pairs of Extendable Ears, to listen to the famed Minerva McGonagall speak. To their disappointment, they hadn't talked about much of interest. The only interesting thing they had talked about was Teddy's father and mother, which was when Teddy got very quiet and, according to Fred, turned the tip of his nose bright blue by accident. They mentioned Hogwarts, which wasn't too boring, but all twelve Weasley cousins (and the twins, who were cousins by default) quieted down when they started talking about Dumbledore.

"Everyone said she was pretty good," said Albus. "My cousin Teddy had her, and I think Victoire, Fred, Molly, Roxanne, and Dominique, too. They all had her before she retired, but Roxanne and Molly only for a year, I think."

"You're really close to all your cousins," noted Elise. "My cousins mostly live in America, and I've a pair in France, but I hardly talk with them. My mum makes us call them for every birthday, though."

"Same," said Albus. "Every time there's a birthday, we have to call and sing happy birthday, and pass the phone around so they can talk to us, as if we can't just Apparate to their house for dinner. We usually do, anyway, so I don't see the point of calling."

"Family's weird," said Elise. "Cheers," she offered her cup to him.

"Cheers," he agreed, clinking her cup with his. The pumpkin juice was sweeter than the kind his grandmother made. It was the best pumpkin juice he'd ever tasted, but he liked the kind his grandmother made better.

It was a few more minutes before the food disappeared from the tables, and Professor Longbottom stood up.

"I'm afraid that, as many of you know," said Professor Longbottom, "the Headmistress is currently unavailable to welcome you to school this year." Giggles and whispers spread throughout the Great Hall. Professor Longbottom raised his hands for quiet. "That said, I have a few announcements.

"As you may already know, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. For the new students, let me be clear--entering the Forbidden Forest is extremely dangerous, and this rule is for your own safety. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has also asked me to remind you that any magic in the corridors is strictly forbidden. And for your own safety, it is also forbidden to swim in the lake, as many of you learned last year."

"What happened last year?" Albus asked Elise.

"Some idiots in Dumbledore's Army jinxed a few mermaids," whispered Elise, "And tried to levitate the Giant Squid and dump it in the Great Hall. They nearly drowned, and since then the menfolk don't let anyone swim. The closest anyone has got is wading a few feet in."

"Dumbledore's Army?" said Albus, but his question was interrupted by the conclusion of Professor Longbottom's speech.

"Quidditch tryouts are on Sunday, two days from now, and if any of you wish to play for your House teams, please see Madam Hooch. In conclusion, it is my privilege to welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizrdry, and I hope you all enjoy yourselves."

"First year Slytherins this way, please," called a prefect, and Albus got up.

"I'll see you later, Albus," promised Elise, "You're not getting rid of me."

"See you later," agreed Albus, waving as he ran to catch up to the prefects, who were already leading the way to the Slytherin common room.

Albus heard his father's voice in his mind as they made their way to through the castle. He heard his father telling him about the common rooms, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers and the Slytherin Dungeon. He heard his father telling him about the time he and Uncle Ron snuck into the Slytherin Dungeon disguised as Crabbe and Goyle, two bullies who often starred in the earlier stories of his father.

"Don't worry," said a voice behind him.

"It's not as bad as they've always said," said the same voice from a different mouth.

Albus looked back to find his cousins walking behind him, the twins. They smiled at him, their mother's blue eyes sparkling in their faces.

"Don't look so scared," admonished the twin Albus recognized as Lorcan.

"We're not as bad as they say," said Lysander.

"Probably," said Lorcan.

"You've been taking lessons from Uncle George," Albus accused.

The twins smiled and fell silent.

When the crowd of Slytherins eventually came to the dungeons, the prefect at the head of the group looked around before addressing the wall. Albus remembered that when his father had snuck into the Slytherin Dungeon, the password was "Pure-Blood." Albus swallowed.

"Crumple-Horned Snorkack," said the prefect loudly, and the wall swung open. Albus looked at his cousins, who grinned.

"Mum says she's only a few weeks away from finally finding one," said Lorcan.

"So we figured it wouldn't hurt to suggest a name in her honor," said Lysander.

Albus blinked. He had thought the password would be something different, something sinister like 'Pure-Blood.' He hadn't counted on it being something as odd as the twins.

The common room took Albus' breath away. It was nothing like his father's description.

It was brightly lit with candles and lamps, the lake water sending ripples of green light through the room. Banners hung above the fireplace, embroidered with snakes, and brightly colored rocks were lined up on the mantle. The fire itself was warm, and the light filled the room and illuminated the soft, comfortable-looking furniture and fur rug. The enormous ceiling loomed overhead, and there was a faint echo of the crowd's chattering as the returning students headed for their dormitories.

"First years over here," the prefect said, gathering their attention. "The boys' dorm is up through there, the girls' dorm is over there," he pointed to two different doors. "Don't mix them up. If you go in the wrong dormitory, the lake is enchanted to send water through the stairway and push you back down."

Albus gulped.

"It's okay," Lorcan assured him as he and his twin headed for the boys' dormitory. "Stay, look around, you can come up when you're ready."

Albus stepped back, out of the way of the crowd, and watched them go to their dormitories. A few hung back to talk, a first year stood and gaped at the common room.

Albus suddenly spotted a short-haired boy in the crowd heading for the girls' dormitory. He disappeared up the stairs and before Albus could say anything, he was shot back out by a jet of green water, slamming into the opposite wall. Soaking wet and crying, he stumbled to his feet. Two girls and a boy appeared, helping the dripping wet boy to his feet and escorting him out of the common room.

"Poor Mal," murmured Elise next to Albus, who jumped to find her standing there. "Happened last year, too."

"What?" said Albus.

"That's Mallory West," said Elise, "She's American, and she's trans, but the old Slytherin regime was very picky about the sort of boy vs. girl gender roles thing, more so than the other Houses, so the girl's dormitory wouldn't let her enter."

"Will she be alright?" said Albus.

"They'll go to Slughorn," said Elise, "They'll fix it, like they did last year. We've been saying for a while now, they need a gender-neutral dorm for when things like this happen, at least while they fix it. Last year she had to sleep on a couch for three days before they fixed it. And apparently, a few years back there was a non-binary kid here, and they didn't want to use either the boys or girls dorm. They ended up transferring to Durmstrang for their mum's work before Hogwarts could put in a dorm for them."

Albus didn't know what to say to that.

"Have you gone up yet?" asked Elise.

"No, not yet," replied Albus.

"Better hurry," advised Elise. "Or all the good bunks'll be taken. My advice, get one with a window."

"A window?" said Albus. They were below water level, how could there be windows?

"They don't open, they're just glass that show the lake," explained Elise. "Every now and again, you see merpeople in the lake, and a few are friends of ours. They come by and hang out, and we show them our books and magic and things, and they show us their magic and how they swim and things like that."

"I'll try and get one with a window," agreed Albus. "What time do we get up?"

"Breakfast is from 7:30 to 9:00 usually," said Elise, "But it's a bit messed up because tomorrow is Saturday, so there's no classes. Instead we're more or less allowed to roam anywhere, so long as we stay on the grounds. How about you come with me on Sunday to Quidditch tryouts?"

"I'd like that," said Albus.

"And maybe tomorrow you should find your cousins," suggested Elise tentatively, "I think you need to talk."

Albus didn't respond to that question, instead looked around the nearly-empty common room.

"You'd better go," said Elise, "before they leave you the worst bunk. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, okay?"

"Okay," agreed Albus. "'Night!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter's not as long, but it's eventful enough, and loads of shit happens. Leave kudos and comments! Tell me what you think!


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